How To Send Ebooks To Your Kindle
The Amazon Kindle is widely acclaimed as an excellent ebook reader, although it has a strong affiliation with Amazon's ecosystem. While Fire tablets and smartphones allow users to diversify their library by downloading alternative e-reading applications, E Ink Kindles, including the popular Kindle Paperwhite, traditionally limit users to acquiring content exclusively from Amazon.
Or does it? Did you know you can actually easily send ebooks to your Kindle via your unique Kindle email address? Here’s how:
Find your Kindle email address.
Download the free ebook. (I’ve found it works best as an EPUB format but other formats work too. We’ll get to that later.)
Attach the file to an email and send it to your Kindle email address.
Make sure your Kindle device is connected to the WiFi and it will appear ready to read on your Kindle in a few moments.
You might also like What is Audible, How Does It Work, And Is It Worth it?
Find Your Kindle Email
The most convenient method for adding books to your Kindle involves using email. To obtain your Kindle's email address, follow these steps:
1. Visit amazon.com/myk (or go to Account & Lists > Content & Devices > Devices tab).
2. Look for your specific Kindle device in the list and click on it. In the drop-down window, select [your name's] Kindle.
3. On the following page, you will find a Device Summary that displays your @kindle.com email address. By default, it is already set, but you can modify it by clicking on the "Edit" option.
4. At the top of the page, click on the "Preferences" tab and scroll down to "Personal Document Settings."
5. The email address associated with your Amazon account should be listed here. If you intend to use this email address to send ebooks to your Kindle, you are ready to proceed. However, if you wish to use a different email, click "Add a new approved e-mail address" and enter the desired address.
Please note that your Kindle must be connected to a Wi-Fi or 3G network in order for it to receive the ebook you choose to send to it.
Choose Your E-Book Format
Now that you're familiar with the process of emailing an ebook to your Kindle, the next step is to determine the format of your ebook, as it will determine the best method of sending it.
EPUB Format (Best)
EPUB is a common ebook format used across the web and Amazon has made it natively compatible with Kindle. Meaning you can simply attach the EPUB document to an email and send it.
Mobi Format
While Amazon no longer supports the Mobi format for new and updated reflowable ebooks, previously existing ebooks in Mobi format can still be read on the Kindle. To send a Mobi file to your Kindle, attach the file to an email and send it to your Kindle's email address. The subject of the email can be anything, and the body should be left empty. The ebook should then appear on your Kindle shortly.
PDF Format
Amazon has the ability to automatically convert PDF files into Kindle format, but you have two formatting choices. If you want the Kindle to display each page of the PDF as a graphic, email the PDF file to your Kindle's email address without including a subject line. This method preserves the formatting and graphics but may result in a small font size that is difficult to read. Another option is to attach the PDF file to an email and set the subject line as "convert." By doing so, Amazon will convert the PDF into a Mobi file, allowing you to control the font size and formatting. However, note that the layout of the original PDF may be altered.
Where Do My Ebooks Show Up?
After successfully emailing your ebook, proceed to your Kindle device and follow these steps: Tap on the "Home" button and then select "Your Library." Please be patient as it may take a few minutes for the update to occur. As long as your Kindle is connected to Wi-Fi or 3G, it should automatically refresh, and the ebook you emailed will appear in your library.
If you wish to remove the ebook from your Kindle, locate it in "Your Library" and tap on the three dots located in the bottom-right corner of the ebook's cover. From there, you can choose "Remove Download" to delete it from your Kindle device or "Permanently Delete" to remove it from your Amazon account altogether.